William e



(No Model.)

W. R. WHITE.

GATE.

No. 378,275. Patented Feb. 21,1888.

U h I UN rrnn Srrrrns IVILLIAM It. \VHIIE, OF NEOGA, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPEUIFICihTION forming part of Letters Patent F0. 3i8,275, datedFebruary 21, 1888.

Application filed August 3, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. Written, of Neoga, in the county ofCumberland and State of Illinois, have made certain new and usefulImprovements in Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, in general, 'DOIIDPIOVG ments in sliding gates ofthat particular class wherein a gate is operated and controlled bylevers; and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of' the several parts for service, substantially ashereinafter specifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar letters of referencedenote similar parts, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a gate andsection of a fence constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2is a side elevation thereof, in which the gate is shown by full lines inclosed position and by dotted lines in open position. Fig. 3 representsa sectional view taken on the line was of Fig. 2, showing the meanswhercby'the gate is operated.

In the present embodiment of my invention A and B designate the frontand rear posts of the gateway, which are respectively placed at theoppositcsides of a roadway or other point desired to be closed by thegate.

0 designates a post, which is placed in alignment with said posts A andB in rear of the latter, and serves the double functions of a supportfor one end of the rails d of the fence D and a support to which one ofthe rollers that support the gate is pivoted.

E designates the gate, which consists in the usual longitudinal rails,e, transverse rails e, and braces 6 I preferably make the two upper ofthe rails a somewhat thicker than the remaining rails comprised in thegate, place them at a distance from each other corresponding to thediameter of the rollers upon which the gate moves, and provide them upontheir adjacent edges with projecting ledges e" e, that are placed, inpractice, in peripheral grooves f, formed in the gate-supporting rollersF E, which are pivoted to the posts B and C, respectively. The ledges e6* are placed on the sides of the longitudinal rails opposite theuprights or transverse rails 0, so that the gate may freely travel pastthe rollers without Serial No. 203,791. (X0 model.)

the uprights interfering therewith or having to be cut away specially toallow such movement. The ledges are formed by ordinary lumber (boards)secured to the longitudinal rails opposite the rollers and giveadditional strength to the rails which bear the weight of the gate,besides serving as the rails for the rollers to travel upon.

I preferably bevel the side walls of the groovesf of the rollers F F inorder to lessen, as far as is practicable, the contact between saidsides and the ledges e 6.

By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the rails (I ofthe fence D terminate at the post 0 and that the rear end of the gate Eextends beyond its postB to thepost 0 when said gate is in closedposition. I deem this construction of importance, as I am enabledthereby to dispense with the entire fence panel, which otherwise wouldextend between said posts 13 and C, andto cause the gate itself to closesaid opening.

I hold the gate in its normal vertical position by ahook, b, whichextends from the post B at the lower end thereof and engages the outersurface of the lower rail, 6, as shown. I also provide that one or moreof said rails 6 shall project somewhat at the forward end of the gate toengage recesses a, formed in the post A, whereby the gate is heldagainst swinging or turning when closed.

I operate the gate back and forth upon its rollers in and by thefollowing manner and means, to wit:

G designates a swinging rod or bar, one end of which (the lower) ispivoted to the gate, near the bottom thereof, at a point in advance ofthe post B when said gate is in closed position, while the opposite endof said rod or bar G is pivoted to the forward end of a lever, H, whichprojects forward from and is pivoted to the post 0 near the upper endthereof.

I I designate laterally-projecting levers, which are fulcrumed in thetop of supports K K, which are placed atopposite sides and slight-lyinrear of the post B. Theinner ends of the levers I I are connected bylinks k in with the lever II, while their opposite outer ends areprovided with pendent pulls 7; k whereby to operate said levers.

The operation of my improved gate is as follows: Said gate being closed,a downward pressure upon the outer ends of either of the levers I I willoperate to raise the lever H, and thereby, through the bar or rod G,draw the gate backward or open. \Vhen open, the above operation isrepeated, and the gate will close.

If desired, the post 13 may be provided at its top with atransversely-extending timber, to the outer ends of which, at each sideof said post, the levers I I may be fulcrnmed; also, that the lever Hmaybe pivoted at its end to the post B, or to a bracket secured theretoand extending therefrom.

I am aware that it is old in that class of gates which are opened by adownward pull upon the ends of oppositely-extending opening-levers andclosed by an upward push upon the same to connectsueh levers to a leverpiv oted to the fence, which lever is connected with a link pivoted tothe front edge of the gate; but such construction is open to theobjection that a weak person often can not close the gate after openingit, owing to the muscular exertion required for the upward push.

I am also aware that it is old in gates both opened and closed bydownward movement of the ends of the oppositely-extending operating armsor levers to connect such arms or levers with a link attached to thegate by means of a vertically-reciprocating rod guided by and travelingin eyes on a post to which the said operatinglevers are pivoted, such aconstruction beingillustrated in my Patent No. 258,517, granted May23,1882; but it is often found difficult with such a construction to getthe requisite amount of motion to open and close along gate, while thevertical rod frequently binds in the guidingreyes by reason of itsbecoming bent or the post warping, so as to throwthe eyes out of line.These difficulties, as well as those hercinbefore pointed out, Ientirely overcome by my present invention, wherein the vertical slidingrod and the guiding-eyes therefor are dispensed with, and in placethereof is interposed the lever H between the operating-levers I I andthe link G, which is connected to the gate to move past post 13 as itopens and closes, the levers I I being connected to lever H near itsfulcrum, thereby permittingthe gate to be moved in both directions by ashort downward movement of the outer ends of the operating arms orlevers.

IVithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I elai|n+ The combination, with the sliding gate, the postsB and 'O, and the rollers carried by said posts, upon which the gate issupported, of the swinging rod or link G, pivoted to the gate, near thebottom thereof, at a point in front of post I3, when the gate is closed,and arranged to have its lower end move past said post as the gate opensand closes, a horizontal lever, H, pivoted at one end to post 0 andpivotally connected at the other end with red G, and the gate-openinglevers I I, pivoted upon opposite sides of the gate and flexiblyconnected with lever II near its fulcrum, said parts being arrangedsubstantiallyas described, whereby the gate may be both opened andclosed by a short downward pull upon the outer end of either of theopening-levers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

' \VM. R. \V H ITE.

IVltnesses:

\V. W'. WHITNEY, PHILIP HOFFMAN.

